NYC newsstand inches too close to building

UPI News Service, 02/13/2012

The operator of a 35-year-old newsstand in New York says city officials want to tear it down because it is 3 inches too close to a building.

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Marilyn Louie, who runs the newsstand at 18 Bowery in Chinatown, is caught between a curb and a high place. She says Department of Transportation officials measured the distance between the stand and the building it faces and determined it is 3 inches too close for a clear path and also is 4 inches too close to the curb, the New York Post reported Monday.

"This is the only job I've had. I've supported my kids with this. This is my only living, I don't think it is fair for just a few inches," she said.

Louie said officials suggested other locations for her newsstand, but they either lack foot traffic or already have a high number of convenience stores selling newspapers.

The city has given her until Feb. 29 to find a new spot.

"The current site does not meet the siting criteria specified by law. The shelter's current clear path is 3 inches less than the required distance (9 1/2 feet), and the stand is 4 inches too close to the curb," said Nicole Garcia, spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation.